From 10 to 1000

Like I have said a million times now, coming here made me realize how important my country was to me. Be it the success at the world cup or the political attempts, the happenings in my country affect my mood and in a big way. Tendulkar and Hazare, the two most talked about people in India past fortnight. And aptly so, a constant persevering effort to contribute to a positive growth of such a beautiful and omnipotent country, sure deserves a salute.
Let's talk about cricket first, ever since I was a little girl (I know, sounds like a cheap rehearsed line you use in company interviews, but for a change, this one is actually true ;) ), I followed cricket, I saw every ball Kumble bowled, cheered to every shot of Kambli and Tendulkar, and none of it seems that distant, it’s all etched in there somewhere. Then came the era of IPL's, it felt like someone commercialized my religion. I lost interest in some aspects of cricket, though ODI's were still quite dear to me. After the devastating world cup 2007, and all hope was lost. Following cricket turned into an on and off activity as a result. But even then, something urged me to follow this World cup ... maybe it was that dormant dream of watching my team perform awesomely or a certain faith in Indian cricket. And lo and behold, we won against Australia and then Pakistan. Winning against them is a matter of pride (at least for me). We were in the finals ... Man oh Man .... It was like, well ...pure bliss. The important part of reaching the finals was that reached there, and we crushed paks and aussies on the way. It was so picture perfect. Just the way I had always imagined it would be. The final match... I dint care much for the outcome, I knew the team was in good shape and wouldn't let us down ... (turns out they dint ;) ). Flash forward to Sachin's untimely return to the dressing room in this crucial match. Tension. Grief. And then, the strong Indian batting order truly displayed its complete power! And now, flash forward to the epic match winning last sixer and the priceless expression on Dhoni's face. This is how heroes are made. This is why they are cherished. This is what makes them different from you and me. The magic of 10. Eighteen years of fanboyism boiled down to this one moment in history. Man, it felt good to be alive !!! And man, it felt good to be Indian.
Just when we thought we couldn't have a bigger better issue. The debate. A Political one. Pros and cons of it. Trying to figure out where the democracy was heading. On one hand there was this notion of all the corrupt politicians, on the other hand the basic funda of what the junta wants. Some argue that passing of the bill is actually 'against' democratic principles. If we have so much faith in the Bureaucrats, why not let them lead India to glory? Why the pretence of an entire election just to prove they are corrupt later on? All this while the more optimistic ones saw a ray of hope for India, it was deemed as a signal that India was ready to face at least one of its many demons. Nevertheless, for better or for worse, India is changing, growing and shining. It is basking under the glory and power of ten.( or more )